Time to heed our call for rehabilitation
According to the WHO position paper: Optimizing brain health across the life course, 1 in 3 people globally will develop some form of neurological disorders in their lifespan and neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and death globally. Dementia is among the major contributors of DALYs and yet, unlike other neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson Disease and epilepsy, persons with dementia are not provided with rehabilitation.
The need and right for rehabilitation was included in the keynote speech delivered by @Kate Swaffer at the First Ministerial Conference on Dementia in March, 2015. Years have passed and persons with dementia are still not provided with rehabilitation and disability support that people with other neurological disorders for example stroke and Parkinson Disease would have received. The WHO Rehabilitation 2030: A Call for Action was launched in 2017 and with only 7 years left, it is time to heed our call and take action. Download the WHO position paper on optimizing brain health across the life course here.